


A Familiar's Intuition

by Dragonsrule18



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abused Harry, Abusive Dursley Family, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Boa Constrictor, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Child Abuse, Dark Harry, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Empathic Character, Evil Albus Dumbledore, F/M, Familiars, Gen, Good Death Eaters, Good Voldemort (Harry Potter), Harry And Hercules Are Both Nerds, Harry Potter is a Good Friend, Hercules Has The Powers Of Observation Of Shawn From Psych, Hogwarts, Hogwarts First Year, Hogwarts Letters, Independent Harry Potter, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, No Weasley Bashing, Physical Abuse, Protective Familiars, Rattlesnake Nagini, Smart Harry, Snakes, Trauma, Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-09 23:17:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15278367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonsrule18/pseuds/Dragonsrule18
Summary: What if the boa constrictor from the zoo had sensed something was seriously wrong with Harry and gone to Privet Drive to rescue him? What if they had travelled until Harry's letter came? What if the boa constrictor had gone with Harry to Hogwarts? And what if the Wizarding World had believed a lie? Evil!Dumbledore, Good!Voldemort/Death Eaters, Abusive!Dursleys.This story is transferred over from FF.net where I am also Dragonsrule18 and is a rewrite of my original version.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this. I love familiars and animal companions, and while I've seen a lot of Harry Potter stories, I've seen few where a familiar actually takes action to protect Harry, and even less of where it's a non-magical familiar. 
> 
> Harry will be maybe slightly more powerful than canon, but he's still a very new wizard trying to get over his past, and he won't be able to do things like master wandless magic completely on his own. He and his familiar will learn together, with help.
> 
> Dumbledore will indeed be evil, but I'm not going to bash the Weasleys or have them in on it intentionally. I see Molly as a good person, and while Ron can be thoughtless and a jerk at times, I don't think it's malice. He's a kid. He won't be Harry's best friend like in canon, and he's probably not going to be sure about Harry being a parselmouth at first, but he's not going to be a total dick.

Boa Constrictor POV:

" _Brazil, here I come! Thanksss, Amigo!"_ I hissed to the tiny, dark haired child that had freed me. I wished I could have stayed and talked to him longer, but I had to get out before the zookeepers came back and stuffed me in that cramped, boring cage.

Somehow, I got out of the zoo without being noticed or caught. I'd like to think it was my snake stealth, but considering I'm a ten foot boa constrictor, it was probably luck. Once I had hidden myself in a set of bushes a distance away from the zoo that was big enough to hide, I thought back to my encounter with the strange little human who could speak my language. I had heard about Speakers before, but I had never talked to one. I was grateful I had gotten the chance to, especially with one as sweet, curious, and kindhearted as this young one. No one had ever cared for me like that before. Not the snakes in the other cages or the annoying people that tapped on my enclosure while I was trying to sleep, and certainly not the zookeepers. And not only had this hatchling cared, he had seemed to _understand._

With that realization, dread overcame me. For some inexplicable reason, I felt like something was wrong with that little hatchling, and that he needed my help.

I went over the encounter with him in my head. Something had set off this feeling, and I needed to figure out exactly what before I decided upon my next move. I went through every detail in my mind. Now that I thought through it fully without the excitement of finally being heard by someone or the adrenaline over the chance to get out of the zoo, I remembered how _tiny_ the boy had been. Not just tiny, but nearly skeletal, like he had not eaten well in weeks. And those green eyes he had, they were haunted like those of the snakes that had been dragged from their former home and taken to the prison known as the zoo. He was so unlike the other children, seeming nervous and even scared when he looked to the people he was clearly with to make sure they weren't watching when he talked to me. I also noticed that he seemed to have a slight limp when he walked, and when I had passed him, I had gotten a faint scent I had remembered from my many meals, though I hadn't paid it much attention at the time in my hurry to get out.

A shudder ran through me as I figured out what exactly the scent had been.

Blood.

Had he gotten hurt when that pig boy had pushed him down? Anger filled me as I remembered that moment; my new friend being pushed to the ground and me in my cage unable to help him. I wished I had been able to do more than snap at the heels of those…beasts…as I fled, but I knew I had to get out quickly. Most of my focus had been both on making sure my friend got up okay, and on getting out, but I briefly remembered something, something horrifying.

The adults with him and the pig boy had _smiled_ when that little hatchling, _my_ little hatchling, was knocked to the floor. Any other parent whose child had fallen in the reptile house had quickly run to help the little one up and coo to them, but not the huge human male and the sticklike human female. They had seemed to _enjoy_ my hatchling's pain!

And that's when it hit me completely. They were hurting him, and probably starving him as well from the condition I had seen him in. And likely, he was still in danger! I had to help him! But how? I didn't know where he had gone. I needed to find him, but without any information, how could I?

Suddenly, I felt a strange pull coming over me, something I had been feeling since I had left, but now it was even stronger. It silently urged me in a certain direction and somehow, I didn't know why, I knew I could find the hatchling if I followed it, and trusting my instincts, I followed it. It took me three settings of the sun to follow the strange invisible line to its source, traveling through the night and hunting and sleeping during the day, before reaching a white human house with squares of glass on it and strange plants outside on the third evening, similar to many human houses near it, but I knew it was the one because the pull had increased exponentially. I knew the little hatchling was here, and somehow, I also knew he was hurt. Not sure how to get in, I hid behind a large, prickly bush and peeked through one of the squares of glass, hoping I could see my hatchling and also find a way to get in. The sight that met my eyes was horrifying.

The huge human male was looming over my clearly frightened hatchling, screaming something I couldn't understand. Suddenly, he struck the tiny boy across the face hard, sending him falling to the ground. My hatchling curled into a ball, trying to protect his head. I hissed angrily and wanted to get through to protect him, but the glass and the knowledge that the large human would call the others before I could finish killing him and I would likely not win that fight and not be able to get my hatchling out of there, or worse, get us both killed, kept me from going in there and slowly crushing the monster to death. I certainly didn't want to, but I had to wait.

The hulking human grabbed my hatchling by the collar and threw him into a tiny room, shutting and latching the door. It was two horrible, anxiety filled hours before the evil man had lumbered up the things the humans called "stairs" and I finally determined it was safe to go rescue my amigo.

I couldn't budge the square of glass I was at, so I checked the others. One was open, just a crack, but enough that I could push my nose through and shove it open enough to get in. Silently, careful not to attract the attention of the bad humans, I slithered through the rooms until I found the room my new friend had been thrown into. It took me a few minutes of staring at the latch before I could figure out how to get it open. Biting down on the cold, foul tasting metal and tugging, I finally managed to pull it loose and the door came open slightly. The already strong pull increased tenfold, and I wanted, _needed,_ to get to my hatchling, _now._

I heard a tiny, heartbreaking whimper as I pushed the door open enough to get my body through and saw my hatchling curled into a ball with arms protecting his head. He was covered in bruises and looked even worse than he did when I first saw him. "Please, uncle, don't hurt me…" he whispered. I knew enough human language from the zoo to interpret what he said and my heart broke even more.

I approached carefully so I wouldn't scare him even more despite the desire of the pull to get me to him as fast as possible and spoke in the gentlest voice I could, trying to soothe his terror. _"No, Amigo. It's me. I'm going to get you out of here."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imagine Harry's surprise when rather than his uncle barging in, it's a talking snake, coming to rescue him. A strange bond forms between the two, a friendship develops, and an impulsive journey to Brazil is started.

" _No, Amigo. It's me. I'm going to get you out of here."_

At the gentle, familiar voice, Harry looked up and started to cautiously uncurl himself. There was only one person, well, not so much a person, who had ever called him "amigo." Pushing on his glasses, he saw the outline of a very large snake close to the now open cupboard door. _"How did you….What? Why?"_ Harry stammered. What was going on? And how did he understand what a snake was saying? Was he dreaming? Or worse, going insane. _"How are you here? You…You told me you were going to Brazil. Is this even real? I'm dreaming, aren't I?"_ He pinched himself, then closed his eyes, but the snake was still there when he opened them, and also giving him a bit of a strange look. _"Am I losing my mind? I'm going stark raving mad aren't I? I have to be! This can't be real! A snake wouldn't come to save me! Not even a person would…"_ Harry didn't even realize he was shaking a bit and scooting back into the wall of his cupboard.

Seeing that he had inadvertently sent the child into a panic, the boa constrictor came closer and tried his best to soothe him. _"Hey, amigo…Amigo, listen to me. This is real, and you ARE NOT losing your mind. I know it sounds crazy, but you're a snake speaker. You can speak the language of our kind. And I am here to rescue you. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out, but I realized you were being hurt and that you needed help. I can get you out of here and away from these people, but I need you to trust me."_

The soothing voice did have the effect of calming Harry and he looked up at the snake. The boa constrictor's eyes were kind, and though he still thought he was dreaming, he wanted so badly for this to be true, for someone to care about him, to have a friend for once…to know that the strange feeling he had had today of someone coming to him was real. He felt the pull he had felt all day become even stronger as he looked into the snake's eyes, and wanted to touch him, but still afraid this was a dream, he resisted, not wanting everything to disappear as he feared it would. He decided to play along as long as this dream lasted. _"How did you get here? And why did you come to save me?"_ he asked softly.

" _How I got here….It's a little confusing."_ the boa constrictor admitted. _"When I figured out what was wrong, I wanted to come find you, but I had no idea where…until I felt this weird pull. Something told me I could find you if I followed it and I've learned to trust my instincts, so I listened."_ The young boy was quiet, taking in all this and connecting to the strange feelings he had been experiencing all day, and the snake continued. _"And I came because you are my friend. You listened and cared and freed me. I want to do the same for you. Please, come with me. We can go to Brazil together."_

Harry unconsciously moved closer to the snake at this. He was still scared this wasn't real and that he would wake up in his cupboard, completely alone and broken-hearted from hoping for something he couldn't get, but another feeling deep inside him was telling him that this was real and he wanted that feeling so badly to be true, to be able to get away from the Dursleys, to have a friend for the first time in his life. _"Thank you."_ he whispered softly and reached to touch the snake as the strange pull was silently instructing him to do, hoping beyond hope that his new friend wouldn't disappear as he softly placed his hand on the snake's back.

The boa constrictor's skin felt like soft leather, real, warm, alive. But before Harry could even dwell on this, a bright flash of light came from both of them, filling the room and nearly blinding them both. He felt a sudden connection, and a sudden and sharp but thankfully very brief bolt of pain as something seemed to snap like the breaking of a rubber band inside of him. Harry was terrified at first, but then a warm comforting feeling flowed through him as a warm, gentle presence entered his mind, instantly calming the child. A soft wave of emotions that weren't his came to him, confusion, and some worry, but then happiness and comfort as it seemed the presence had been touched by the same feeling. The flash slowly dissipated, and despite the strange events and Harry's injuries and fears, he felt truly happy for the first time in a long time, like a puzzle piece he hadn't even known was missing had fallen into place. He knew for certain now that this truly was real, as strange as it seemed.

The two looked at each other, and both somehow knew without words that the other was having the same feelings. The strong pull that had been drawing them together like magnets had become a strong but quiet connection to one another in both mind and soul. Though the experience had seemed to last long moments, the truth was that it had all been completed in a few seconds.

Harry was the first to find words. _"What was that?"_

" _I-I don't know."_ the boa constrictor admitted. _"I don't know what that was or how it happened, but I feel like it was supposed to happen. But I don't even know how I know that.  And maybe I should be freaked out, but I'm not.  It just feels...right."_

Harry nodded, understanding as he felt the exact same way, but he knew they had more important things to worry about. _"We-We'd better get out of here and we've got to be really quiet. If my uncle wakes up…"_ He shuddered a little and left the sentence unfinished.

" _I won't let him hurt you if he does. How bad are you hurt? Can you walk?"_ the boa constrictor asked, looking at his injuries worriedly.

Harry nodded. _"Yes, I'll be all right. It wasn't as bad this time."_ The last sentence was barely audible, but the snake still heard it and looked worried, but nodded. Harry got up, wincing in pain, though trying to hide it, and stumbled and nearly fell as he aggravated a painful spot on his right leg.

The snake saw this and reared up, gently placing his head and neck between Harry's left arm and chest, supporting him and letting the child lean on him, able to tell that he was in pain. _"Easy there. I've got you."_

" _Thanks."_ Harry whispered gratefully. The two sneaked silently through the rooms, Harry grabbing one of Dudley's old bags and the two making a slight detour to the kitchens where Harry stole some apples, bread, a little leftover meat, a few slices of cheese and some various other food items that he didn't think the Dursleys would miss. He thought about trying to steal some money, but didn't think he could get to it in time and was also worried the Dursleys would call the police if they noticed money was missing and have him arrested. He did slip a Swiss Army knife of Vernon's that was lying out on the coffee table into the bag, knowing he'd need it, stole the first aid kit from the bathroom, and as the two traveled to the door, silently grabbed some maps from the shelf by the entryway.

Thankfully, the two made it out without incident and headed down Privet Drive as quickly as they could with Harry's injuries. _"There's a forest near the park. We should be able to get there before sunrise and there's a cave we can hide in during the day."_ Harry told his snake friend. He had found the cave while running from Dudley one day and hidden there until his cousin and his gang had gotten bored and went home. He knew it was in a safe and hidden spot. True to his word, the two made it there without being noticed just before sunrise.

Later, having treated his wounds(with the snake fussing over him a bit) and having eaten a little and giving most of the meat he had stolen to the boa constrictor, the two rested, the snake with its coils gently wrapped around Harry, the closeness comforting to both friends. Harry suddenly remembered something important he had forgotten to ask. _"Do you have a name?"_

" _I do."_ the snake said with a nod. _"The zookeepers named me Hercules, which is kind of a weird name, but at least it's better than the name one of the cobras got."_

" _What was it?"_ Harry asked curiously, feeling safe enough around the snake to ask questions.

Hercules made a strange hissing sound, and Harry jumped a bit before realizing the snake was laughing. _"His name…was Sir Hiss."_ he said through his laughter.

Harry started laughing too, trying to keep quiet since he didn't want anyone to hear them. _"That is awful. Poor snake."_

Once the two had calmed down, Hercules asked, _"What's your name? I know most humans have them."_

" _I'm Harry."_ the young boy told him.

" _Well, Harry, we'd better sleep soon. It's a long way to Brazil, I think, and we probably should get going once it gets dark."_ Hercules said. Harry nodded and both were quick to fall asleep, neither knowing their new adventure together would not quite be what they had planned.


	3. Talks, Travels, And A Mysterious Letter

Harry woke up a little disoriented around late afternoon. Where was he? Though somewhat damp and cold, this place was certainly not his cupboard. Then memories of last night came back to him, so strange that he once again wondered if they were real. Hercules, the snake from the zoo, coming to rescue him, getting him out of the horror that had been his home life. The comforting feeling of friendship and knowing someone had actually cared about him. The white light and the strange but comforting feeling of what seemed to be some sort of weird mystical bond between them. The gentle support of Hercules helping him walk. Running to the cave and being able to eat and treat his wounds for once. Hercules fussing over him and laughing with him, not at him. It felt so real and yet so unreal at the same time. Could his life ever be this good?

Harry looked around for Hercules and his heart sunk when he realized the snake wasn't in the cave. Where was Hercules? Had he left? Had this all been a vivid, wonderful dream and Harry had just sleepwalked into the cave? Granted, that was crazy, but slightly less crazy than a snake coming to rescue him! Or what if it had happened, but Hercules had realized how much of a freak Harry was and left him like everyone else had done? He didn't deserve Hercules, after all. Freaks didn't deserve to have friends. Freaks don't get to be loved. Wrapped up in his thoughts and fears, Harry didn't realize he was shaking slightly, hyperventilating, and repeating under his breath the mantra the Dursleys had literally beat into him under his breath. "You're a freak. Freaks will never have friends. Freaks will never be loved."

Only a soft, familiar voice managed to break him out of his thoughts.  _"Harry?"_

…..

Outside the cave, Hercules had hunted down and killed a rabbit for him and his new friend to share for breakfast and was heading back to their temporary home when he was overwhelmed by a sea of emotions that weren't his own. Panic. Doubt. Self loathing. Fear. Though again he couldn't explain it, he knew at once they were from Harry. Extremely worried, he dropped his kill at the entrance and slithered into the cave.  _"Harry?"_  he called out.

No response.

Getting even more worried, he moved deeper and saw Harry at the back of the cave, staring into space, shaking, and mumbling something under his breath. The young boy didn't even seem to notice his presence. Hercules went over to him and gently coiled around him, nudging him to snap him out of whatever state he was in.  _"Harry? You okay?"_

The soft touch seemed to calm his hatchling and he stopped mumbling, relaxing into the comfort of the coils and the bond, his eyes finally meeting those of the concerned snake.  _"Hercules."_  he said softly.  _"You're here."_  The last two words were barely audible, but the boa constrictor caught them anyway.

 _"Of course I am."_  Hercules looked into Harry's eyes.  _"Harry, what's wrong?"_

 _"Nothing."_  Harry said and averted his eyes, thinking Hercules would think he was not just a freak but weak if he revealed what was wrong.

Hercules sighed.  _"Want to tell me something with a little more truth to it?"_  Harry fidgeted a little.  _"Harry, I know something's really bothering you. I could feel it all the way outside and you were pretty much catatonic when I came in. Please, tell me what's wrong. I want to help you, but I can't if you shut me out."_

Harry looked at the ground as he replied.  _"When-When I woke up this morning and you weren't there, I-I thought this was a dream or that you left because…."_  Harry stopped himself at this point.

 _"Because?"_  Hercules pressed gently, not wanting to upset Harry but feeling that he did need to let something out. Harry murmured something inaudible.  _"I didn't catch…"_

 _"Because I'm a freak!"_  Harry blurted out, startling them both. He then flinched and kept his eyes on the ground as he was scared to see Hercules's expression, and started to slide away, but Hercules gently wrapped his tail around the tiny boy's waist and pulled him back, careful not to hurt him. Harry instinctively flinched, but then relaxed a little into the comforting "hug."

 _"Harry…hey, look at me. It's okay. You are NOT a freak."_  Hercules comforted him. Harry looked at him for a brief moment, then looked at the ground again and Hercules could tell that he wasn't really believing it. There was silence for a long few minutes before Harry spoke again.

_"Sometimes-Sometimes I do things. Freakish things. Sometimes they happen if I'm angry or scared or I want something bad enough…I can't control them or make them go away. I don't even know how I did them, I just know that I did them."_

_"Do you mean like how you opened my cage without even touching the glass?"_  Hercules asked gently as his mind began putting pieces together.

Harry nodded.  _"I-I wanted to help you…You looked so sad, but I didn't know what to do and I was trying to think of something and then Dudley knocked me down…startled me…there was like a popping feeling in my head, then the glass was gone. Not broken, just gone."_  He looked down, ashamed, and his small body was shaking, expecting harsh words or even a blow.

Hercules gently nuzzled him and pulled him closer, mentally cursing Harry's relatives when Harry flinched. _"Don't worry, Harry. It's okay. I don't care if you can do things that ordinary humans can't. You're still my friend, the only real friend I've ever had."_  the snake said softly. He took a deep breath, knowing it was his turn to put his own heart and secrets on the line to make Harry understand that he was not alone.  _"And you don't have to ever fear I'll judge you. I'm not exactly normal either."_

 _"What do you mean?"_  Harry asked softly.

 _"I…Well, it's hard to explain, but I have this power. I could tell if humans or the other reptiles in my area were lying or telling the truth and I can feel intent and occasionally even their emotions if they were strong enough. Sometimes it was just a matter of observation, but sometimes…it was like something told me, like some sort of instinct or intuition. I can't even comprehend why, but I've been like that since I was born. It took me all my five years to learn how exactly to use it and when. A lot of the other snakes thought I was annoying for analyzing their stories, so I had to learn when to reveal things and when to keep my mouth shut. It's...still a work in progress."_ Hercules let out a soft chuckle at this.

 _"I think it's a cool power."_ Harry said softly.

 _"And your powers are great too, regardless of what those monsters said."_ Hercules told them.

_"But I do really weird things...and I can't control them..."_

_"Maybe once you get older or practice more with them, you will be able to. Granted, I don't exactly know how to train you in them since I don't know how they work or even how this bond thing between us works, but I'll help out however I can, and maybe we'll learn more on our journey. Maybe Brazil will have the answers we're looking for. And no matter what, I'll be there for you, okay? You're my friend and I care about you, and that's never going to change."_

Harry hugged him, feeling a weight lift off his chest.  _"Thank you. For everything."_

 _"You're welcome. Now are you hungry? I went hunting, and I brought a rabbit back for you."_ The snake gently uncoiled himself from Harry before going to the front of the cave and dragging the rabbit back to Harry.  _"Granted I don't know what humans eat, but I hope this works."_

Harry had never seen such a proud look on a snake's face before, so even though the squished, bloody dead rabbit was kind of gross to look at, he couldn't help but smile at his friend.  _"It will. Thank you."_

...

Harry managed to build a fire and cleaned and cooked the rabbit, thankful that he knew how to do this thanks to Uncle Vernon hunting occasionally and making him clean his catches. He knew it would save his life out here in the wild. Hercules stayed by his side the whole time, the snake extremely interested in the entire process from the building and creation of the fire to why humans needed to cook their meat and why the skin needed to be taken off when it was "the best part." Harry answered the questions as best he possibly could and Hercules listened intently and gave him his full attention, yet never judged Harry when he didn't know something. Harry liked being with the snake more and more. They found they both shared an inquisitive nature with a sharp desire to learn and would both get excited when the other told them a new fact they didn't know. Harry found out he could ask questions and say whatever he wanted and it would never get Hercules mad, and Hercules discovered that even when he went off on a long ramble, Harry wouldn't get annoyed or call him a know-it-all. It was wonderful to be able to freely talk and laugh with someone for the first time in their lives. As they ate and waited for the sun to go down, they painted castles in the sky of what they both wanted when they got to Brazil. Hercules dreamed of lush forests with ample prey and lots of sunshine, as well as lots of other snakes to teach him things he didn't know, and Harry simply wanted a safe place to call home and to have friends and a family as well as places to explore and new things to learn.

After the sun went down, the two headed out, ready to start their new adventure in Brazil and achieve their dreams.

…..

Hogwarts(Two Weeks Later)

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, sucking on a lemon drop. Everything was going to plan. The Dursleys had treated Harry Potter exactly the way he expected. He would be coming to Hogwarts a broken child, malleable, the perfect pawn. He would see Albus Dumbledore as his hero, his savior, his mentor. Albus Dumbledore would have his perfect weapon in his fight against Voldemort. But what he didn't know was that the letter heading on its way to Harry Potter had recently had an address change, or that Harry now had someone in his corner that wouldn't take the child being harmed in any way. Someone who would help Harry grow stronger in a way Dumbledore would never want him to be.

You know what they say about the best laid plans.

...

Harry smiled as he stepped out of the latest cave they had used for shelter. The last two weeks had been the best of his life. Some humans would consider his new life hard or primitive, but for the now almost eleven year old boy, they had given him a freedom he had never had with the Dursleys. He could eat as much as he wanted and at any time wanted, he could rest any time he needed to, and most importantly of all, he had his best friend by his side, and regardless of whatever hardship the wilderness threw at them as they headed towards the coast, they could get through it together.

Due to finding out that Harry's poor vision was a little worse in the dark, the two had switched to traveling during the day, unless they were too close to a populated place, in which case Hercules would guide Harry as they made it through by night.

Their bond had grown much stronger throughout their journey, both their friendship and the strange mystical bond that tied them together. They could almost always tell what the other was feeling now, and a new emotional power developed. It was Hercules who first discovered it one night when Harry had a nightmare that had woken him up, trembling, gasping, and in a cold sweat. Hercules had coiled around him, whispering soothing nonsense and nuzzling him. The snake's desire to comfort his amigo had been so strong that the bond had responded, and sent what felt like waves of warm comfort from Hercules to Harry, quickly working to calm the frightened boy and allow him to relax against his friend's scales and fall back to sleep with no nightmares for the rest of the night. From then on, Hercules always used this technique to soothe Harry any time he had a nightmare or flashback.

And Harry found out how to do it as well the day Hercules had started shedding his skin and the old skin had gotten caught over his eyes, making the snake try frantically to get it off in a slight panic. Harry had rushed to his aid, but the constrictor's constant wriggling had made the task nearly impossible until Harry remembered the bond. He had taken a deep breath, concentrated, and managed to send waves of comfort to Hercules, making the snake relax and lie sprawled out on Harry's lap, allowing Harry to gently clean off the stubborn piece of skin allowing the snake to see again. Hercules had been rather embarrassed by his panicky behavior, but felt better when Harry admitted he would get just as nervous if he didn't have his glasses.

The two also discovered that the connection that had allowed Hercules to find Harry in the first place could still be used. They had fun experimenting with this part of their bond, one finding a spot to hide while the other used the bond to find them. They knew it would be useful if they ever got separated or if one was in danger when they were apart.

And there was some danger on their journey. Once they were traveling along a cliffside, Hercules leading, when suddenly the ground had crumbled under Hercules, causing him to fall. Harry had screamed, and seeing his amigo in danger, he felt power surge inside him, and suddenly Hercules had stopped falling in mid air, hovering above the ground at least fifty feet below him. The power had pulled Hercules back up towards Harry, right into his arms. Then the ground under the two had started trembling again, and Harry's power reacted again. The two found themselves on the safe ground on the other side of the cliff, and Harry collapsed in exhaustion and fell unconscious, which scared Hercules even more than falling had. Harry had woken a few hours later in a panic, relieved to find a safe and extremely worried boa constrictor cuddling up to him. It was at this moment that he stopped hating and fearing his own power.

And it wasn't the only time Harry's strange power had saved them from danger. The last incident had happened only a few days ago. A hunter in the woods had come extremely close to discovering their cave hiding spot, but once again, Harry's power had reacted when he heard the footsteps and somehow the hunter had looked right at them without seeing them. The hunter left soon after and Harry had been tired for a few hours afterward.

Harry decided to try to see if he could get his power to work on command, though it still eluded him. He couldn't figure out how to grasp it when the situation was not stressful or life threatening. Hercules tried to offer suggestions, but he didn't know any more than Harry about the power, so very little progress was made. It was frustrating, but the two still held out hope that answers could be found. And some were, but it also led to more questions.

The two had met some other snakes a few times, all tiny grass snakes or small vipers with most of them being the ones to approach Harry and ask if he was a Speaker. They treated both Harry and Hercules with respect and were happy to share what information they knew. No one knew how exactly to help Harry control his powers(and one viper had thought Hercules had gotten ahold of a rat that had eaten fermented berries when Hercules told the viper about them), but they were able to find out a few important things. A grass snake had spoken to another Speaker a few weeks back, and had seen him vanish before her eyes with a loud crack sound, which sounded a lot like what Harry had done on the cliffs and another viper had told them that a Speaker could indeed bond with a reptile in the way Hercules and Harry had, and that it would always happen to a Speaker. Like the grass snake, he knew most Speakers had strange powers, but did not know how they worked and advised Harry to try to find another Speaker or a three headed snake called a Runespoor to teach him. The snakes also gave practical advice like where to find fresh water, where prey was most easily found, and most importantly, how to avoid predators, and Harry had thanked them for their advice by doing small things to help the snakes out, like transporting them elsewhere or helping build a nest, or Hercules would help them find prey, which is what he was actually doing right now.

As Harry was waiting for Hercules to get back, he heard a soft hoot and looked up to see a brown owl flying close. He blinked in confusion as it dropped a letter in front of him, then flew into a nearby tree. He carefully picked up the envelope and his heart nearly stopped when he read what was on it.

_**H.J Potter** _

_**The Cave In The Woods** _

_"Hercules!"_ he called in a panic.  _"I think we've got a problem!"_

Thankfully, Hercules was hunting close by and was able to hear him immediately. The snake came rushing back.  _"What is it? What's wrong?!"_

 _"This is!"_ Harry told him frantically, holding out the envelope to show him.

_"Harry, you forgot I can't read."_

Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.  _"Sorry. I just had an owl drop this envelope in front of me and it's got my name and The Cave In The Woods as an address. I think someone found us!"_ he said in a rush.  _"I don't know whether to open it or not. I don't know who sent it or how they found us or why there's a letter addressed to a freaking cave in the woods. This is way too creepy..."_

Hercules was just as worried but tried to stay calm for Harry's sake.  _"Calm down. Maybe...Maybe it's the speaker that snake saw. Maybe she told him about us. Let's just open it and see what's going on before we panic."_

Harry nodded and took another deep breath to try to settle his anxiety before very cautiously opening the letter, which was two pages of parchment. He read it aloud to Hercules.

_**Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry** _

_**Headmaster Albus Dumbledore** _

_**(Order Of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer., Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)** _

_**Dear Mr. Potter,** _

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.** _

The next page was a list of strange books and supplies. Harry looked to Hercules.  _"I've... apparently been accepted to a school of witchcraft and wizardry..."_

_"I have no idea what either of those are."_

_"They...practice magic and spells."_

_"I still have no idea what you're talking about."_ Hercules admitted.

_"It's a little bit hard to explain and I thought it was all fake or sleight of hand, but magic is supposed to be some sort of...mystical power..."_

Both Harry and Hercules looked at each other in shock.

Harry plopped on the ground. Hercules crawled into his lap and he hugged the snake tight.  _"I think I'm a wizard, Hercules..."_


End file.
